Taylor and Martin are two of the most popular and frequently compared acoustic guitar brands. If you’re looking for an exceptional quality acoustic guitar, then you can’t go wrong with either. But how do you know which is the best brand for you?
In this article, I’ll compare the tone and playability of Martin and Taylor acoustic guitars as well as break-down the ranges so you can see which models are most suitable for you.
Taylor vs Martin
Martin acoustic guitars have a warmer tone with more bass and lower-mids than Taylor guitars which have a brighter and more modern tone with more treble and upper-mids. In general, Taylor guitars allow you to adjust the action more easily due to their adjustable necks, unlike Martin guitars.
| Martin Acoustic Guitars | Taylor Acoustic Guitars |
| Warmer tone with more bass and low-mids | Brighter tone with more treble and upper-mids |
| Use X-bracing primarily | Use V-bracing primarily |
| Cannot adjust neck angle | Can adjust neck angle |
| Larger fretboard radius | Smaller fretboard radius |
Brand Overview
Before we jump into the comparisons, let’s go through a quick overview of each brand and the shapes available so you can see what kinds of acoustic guitars are comparable.
Taylor
Taylor make acoustic guitars in several shapes:
- Grand Concert: small body
- Baby: 3/4 size dreadnought
- Grand Auditorium: mid-sized guitar
- Big Baby: 15/16 size dreadnought
- Dreadnought
- Grand Pacific: round shoulder dreadnought
- Grand Theatre: scaled-down version of the Grand Orchestra
- Grand Symphony: larger than a Grand Auditorium with a soundport cutaway
- Grand Orchestra: super jumbo style
- Jumbo: only available for custom orders currently
Here are some images (all link to Amazon) to show the different shapes.
Grand Concert
Grand Auditorium
Grand Symphony
Grand Pacific
Dreadnought
Grand Orchestra
Taylor use 3 digit naming system to identify each model:
- 1st Digit: the series. Models in the same series have the same back and side wood.
- 2nd Digit: string number and top wood hardness. 1 = 6 string with soft top wood e.g. spruce, 2 = 6 string with hard top wood, 5 = 12 string with soft top wood, 6 = 12 string with hard top wood.
- 3rd Digit: body shape. 0 = dreadnought, 2 = grand concert, 4 = grand auditorium, 6 = grand symphony, 7 = grand pacific, 8 = grand orchestra.
Some models also have 1 or 2 letters after them. An “E” indicates that it’s an acoustic-electric model and a “C” indicates that it has a cutaway.
Martin
Martin make several acoustic guitar shapes which are all coded:
- 0
- 00
- 000 (Auditorium)
- OM (Orchestra)
- GP (Grand Performance)
- M (Grand Auditorium)
- D (Dreadnought)
- J (Jumbo)
The acoustic-electric versions all have an “E” at the end of the product name.
Here are images (all link to Amazon) of some of the different Martin shapes.
Dreadnought
GP
0
00
000
Comparable Shapes
Here is a list of comparable acoustic guitar shapes from Taylor and Martin, since they all use different naming systems.
- Small body: Taylor Grand Concert and Martin 0/ 00 shapes
- Mid-Sized: Taylor Grand Auditorium and Martin 000/ OM/GP shapes
- Dreadnought: Taylor Dreadnought/ Big Baby/ Grand Pacific and Martin Dreadnough (D) shapes
- Large-Body: Taylor Grand Orchestra/ Grand Symphony and Martin Jumbo shapes
Check out my in-depth comparison between the Taylor GS Mini and Martin Little Martin.
Tone Comparison
Martin acoustic guitars typically have a classic sound with more emphasis on the bass and lower-mids giving them a warmer and fuller tone compared to Taylor guitars which have more emphasis on the treble and upper-mids giving them a more modern tone with increased clarity.
It’s important to note that these generalisations can get thrown out of the window depending on which models are being compared. The tone of an acoustic guitar varies depending on the shape, tone wood and bracing pattern used and each guitar in the range will sound different.
Most modern Taylor guitars use V-class bracing resulting in a brighter tone, whereas Martin guitars typically use X-class bracing which sounds warmer and fuller.
Check out my comparison between X and V-Class bracing to learn about the differences.
Here are some YouTube comparisons of similar Taylor and Martin models so you can listen to the difference. It’s really best to try the models in your price range out in person in the store so you can listen to the differences and decide which one sounds best to you.
Comparison #1 Taylor Builder’s Edition 717 vs Martin HD-28
Comparison #2 Taylor 314 vs Martin 00-18
Taylor 214ce Deluxe vs Martin GPC-13e
Comfort and Playability
Taylor acoustic guitars are generally easier and more forgiving than Martin acoustic guitars. Taylor acoustic guitars allow you to adjust the neck angle to get the ideal action whereas Martin guitars have a set neck so you cannot adjust the action. Taylor guitars typically have a smaller fretboard radius.
Playability and comfort is very subjective though, and both brands make guitars with different neck profiles and shapes to suit different players. It’s always recommended to try different models in a guitar store to know what feels best to you.
Country of Manufacture
Taylor and Martin both produce their guitars in Mexico and the USA. Taylor make their more affordable guitars in Mexico which range between $500 and $1500. Their more premium guitars typically start at $1300 and are made in the USA.
Martin make most models under $1300 in Mexico and most models over $1500 in the USA. This means that similarly priced guitars from both brands are highly likely to be made in the same country.
Check out these guides to learn more:
Range Comparison
Now we’ve been through some comparisons, I wanted to put together some tables so you can find comparable models from Taylor and Martin easily and quickly. The tables below are split into different body shapes and are all ordered from the lowest to the highest price (at the time of writing).
The tables are very large because they contain pretty much every model available from Taylor and Martin at the time of writing but try not to get overwhelmed by looking at every entry! The tables are just here so you can pick out models that have suitable specifications in your price range so you can compare them further.
Categories:
- Small Body
- Mid-Sized
- Acoustic
- Large Body
Small Body
- Taylor Grand Concert and Martin 0/ 00 shapes
| Guitar | Acoustic-Electric | Origin | Top Wood | Back and Sides | Price |
| Taylor Academy 12 | No | Mexico | Spruce | Layered Sapele | $499 |
| Martin 0-X1E HPL | Yes | Mexico | Mahogany | Mahogany | $500 |
| Martin 00X1AE | Yes | Mexico | Spruce | Mahogany | $600 |
| Martin 00-15M | No | USA | Mahogany | Mahogany | $1300 |
| Taylor GT Urban Ash | No | USA | Spruce | Ash | $1399 |
| Taylor AD22e | Yes | USA | Mahogany | Sapele | $1599 |
| Taylor GTe Urban Ash | Yes | USA | Spruce | Ash | $1599 |
| Taylor 312 V-Class | No | USA | Spruce | Sapele | $1799 |
| Taylor 322 V-Class | No | USA | Mahogany | Blackwood | $1899 |
| Taylor AD12e | Yes | USA | Spruce | Ebony | $1999 |
| Taylor 412ce V-Class | Yes | USA | Spruce | Ovangkol | $2399 |
| Taylor 412e-R V-Classic | Yes | USA | Spruce | Rosewood | $2499 |
| Martin 00-18 Standard | No | USA | Spruce | Mahogany | $2500 |
| Martin 0-18 Standard | No | USA | Spruce | Mahogany | $2500 |
| Taylor 412ce-R V-Class | Yes | USA | Spruce | Rosewood | $2599 |
| Martin CEO-7 00 | No | USA | Spruce | Mahogany | $2700 |
| Taylor 712ce V-Class | Yes | USA | Spruce | Rosewood | $2999 |
| Taylor 712ce V-Class | Yes | USA | Spruce | Rosewood | $2999 |
| Martin 00-28 Standard | No | USA | Spruce | Rosewood | $3200 |
| Martin 00L Fly Fishing Parlor | No | USA | Spruce | Alves | $3400 |
| Taylor 612ce V-Class | Yes | USA | Spruce | Maple | $3499 |
| Taylor 612e V-Class | Yes | USA | Spruce | Maple | $3549 |
| Taylor 812ce V-Class | Yes | USA | Spruce | Rosewood | $3699 |
| Taylor 812c V-Class | Yes | USA | Spruce | Rosewood | $3699 |
| Taylor 812ce V-Class | Yes | USA | Spruce | Rosewood | $3699 |
| Taylor 812e Deluxe | Yes | USA | Spruce | Rosewood | $4049 |
| Taylor GT K21e | Yes | USA | Koa | Koa | $4699 |
| Martin 00-17 Authentic 1931 | No | USA | Mahogany | Mahogany | $4800 |
| Taylor K22ce V-Class | Yes | USA | Koa | Koa | $5199 |
| Taylor 912ce V-Class | Yes | USA | Spruce | Rosewood | $5199 |
| Taylor K22ce V-Class | Yes | USA | Koa | Koa | $5199 |
| Taylor 912ce V-Class | Yes | USA | Spruce | Rosewood | $5199 |
| Taylor Builder’s Edition 912ce V-Class | Yes | USA | Spruce | Rosewood | $5499 |
Mid-Size
- Taylor Grand Auditorium and Martin 000/ OM/GP shapes
| Guitar | Acoustic-Electric | Origin | Top Wood | Back and Sides | Price |
| Martin 000 Jr-10 | No | Mexico | Spruce | Sapele | $500 |
| Martin Special 000 X Series | Yes | Mexico | Rosewood | Rosewood | $500 |
| Martin Special C Series Style 000 | Yes | Mexico | HPL | HPL | $550 |
| Martin OMC-X1E HPL | Yes | Mexico | HPL | HPL | $550 |
| Martin GPC Special Koa X Series | Yes | Mexico | Koa | Koa | $600 |
| Martin Custom 000-X1AE | Yes | Mexico | Spruce | Rosewood | $600 |
| Martin 000-X2E | Yes | Mexico | Spruce | Mahogany | $600 |
| Martin Special 000 X1AE Style | Yes | Mexico | Spruce | Mahogany | $600 |
| Martin 000 Jr-10E | Yes | Mexico | Spruce | Sapele | $650 |
| Martin GPC-X2E | Yes | Mexico | Spruce | Rosewood/ Ebony/ Mahogany | $700 |
| Martin Special 000 Cutaway X Style | Yes | Mexico | HPL | HPL | $750 |
| Martin 000-10EL Road Series | Yes | Mexico | Sapele | Sapele | $760 |
| Taylor 114e Grand Auditorium | Yes | Mexico | Spruce | Layered Walnut | $799 |
| Martin Special GPC 10 Road Series | Yes | Mexico | Sapele | Sapele | $800 |
| Taylor 214ce Grand Auditorium | Yes | Mexico | Spruce | Layered Rosewood | $999 |
| Martin Special 000 All-Solid | No | Mexico | Spruce | Sapele | $1000 |
| Martin GPC-11E Road Series | Yes | Mexico | Spruce | Sapele | $1000 |
| Martin Special GPC All-Solid | Yes | Mexico | Spruce | Sapele | $1000 |
| Taylor 214ce-K Grand Auditorium | Yes | Mexico | Spruce | Layered Koa | $1099 |
| Taylor 214ce Plus Grand Auditorium | Yes | Mexico | Spruce | Layered Rosewood | $1199 |
| Martin 000-12E Road Series | Yes | Mexico | Spruce | Koa | $1300 |
| Martin 000-13E Road Series | Yes | Mexico | Spruce | Siris | $1300 |
| Martin 000-15M | No | USA | Mahogany | Mahogany | $1300 |
| Taylor 214ce DLX Grand Auditorium | Yes | Mexico | Spruce | Layered Rosewood | $1399 |
| Martin GPC-13E Road Series | Yes | Mexico | Spruce | Mutenye | $1400 |
| Martin GPC-13E Ziricote | Yes | Mexico | Spruce | Ziricote | $1400 |
| Martin StreetMaster 000-15M | No | USA | Mahogany | Mahogany | $1400 |
| Taylor 214ce DLX Grand Auditorium | Yes | Mexico | Spruce | Layered Maple | $1499 |
| Taylor 214ce Deluxe Grand Auditorium | Yes | Mexico | Spruce | Layered Ovangkol | $1499 |
| Martin Special OMC USA Performing Artist | Yes | USA | Spruce | Ovangkol | $1500 |
| Taylor 214ce-K DLX Grand Auditorium | Yes | Mexico | Spruce | Layered Koa | $1599 |
| Martin OMC-15ME | Yes | USA | Mahogany | Mahogany | $1600 |
| Martin 000-17 | No | USA | Spruce | Mahogany | $1600 |
| Martin 000-15SM | No | USA | Mahogany | Mahogany | $1600 |
| Martin Special GPC 15ME | Yes | USA | Mahogany | Mahogany | $1600 |
| Martin Special GPC Performing Artist Ovangkol | Yes | USA | Ovangkol | Ovangkol | $1600 |
| Taylor 224ce-K DLX Grand Auditorium | Yes | Mexico | Koa | Layered Koa | $1699 |
| Martin GPC-16E | Yes | USA | Spruce | Rosewood | $1800 |
| Martin 000-16E | Yes | USA | Spruce | Granadillo | $1800 |
| Martin 000-17E | Yes | USA | Spruce | Mahogany | $1800 |
| Martin OME-Cherry Orchestra | Yes | USA | Spruce | Cherry | $2000 |
| Martin OMC-16E Ovangkol | Yes | USA | Ovangkol | Ovangkol | $2000 |
| Martin 000-18 | No | USA | Spruce | Mahogany | $2500 |
| Martin OM-21 Standard | No | USA | Spruce | Rosewood | $2800 |
| Martin 000-28 Standard | No | USA | Spruce | Rosewood | $2850 |
| Taylor Builder’s Edition 324ce Grand Auditorium | Yes | USA | Mahogany | Ash | $2999 |
| Martin 000-28 Standard | No | USA | Spruce | Rosewood | $3200 |
| Martin OM-28 Standard | No | USA | Spruce | Rosewood | $3200 |
| Martin OM-28E Standard | Yes | USA | Spruce | Rosewood | $3600 |
| Taylor 814ce V-Class Grand Auditorium | Yes | USA | Spruce | Rosewood | $3699 |
| Taylor Builder’s Edition 614ce Grand Auditorium | Yes | USA | Spruce | Maple | $3999 |
| Martin OM-28 Modern Deluxe | No | USA | Spruce | Rosewood | $4000 |
| Martin 000-28 Modern Deluxe | No | USA | Spruce | Rosewood | $4000 |
| Martin 000-28E Modern Deluxe | Yes | USA | Spruce | Rosewood | $4700 |
| Taylor Custom Sassafras Grand Auditorium | Yes | USA | Spruce | Sassafras | $4999 |
| Taylor Custom Euro Maple Grand Auditorium | Yes | USA | Spruce | Maple | $4999 |
| Taylor Custom Macassar Ebony Grand Auditorium | Yes | USA | Redwood | Ebony | $4999 |
| Taylor Builder’s Edition K14ce V-Class Grand Auditorium | Yes | USA | Spruce | Koa | $5199 |
| Taylor 914ce V-Class Grand Auditorium | Yes | USA | Spruce | Rosewood | $5199 |
| Taylor Builder’s Edition K24ce V-Class Grand Auditorium | Yes | USA | Koa | Koa | $5499 |
| Taylor Custom No.12 Grand Auditorium | Yes | USA | Blackwood | Blackwood | $5799 |
| Martin OM-42 Standard | No | USA | Spruce | Rosewood | $6200 |
| Martin 000-42 Standard | No | USA | Spruce | Rosewood | $6200 |
| Martin Authentic Series 1919 000-30 | No | USA | Spruce | Rosewood | $6900 |
| Taylor Custom No.20 Grand Auditorium | Yes | USA | Koa | Koa | $9999 |
| Martin Authentic Series 1919 000-30 | No | USA | Spruce | Rosewood | $11700 |
Dreadnought
- Taylor Dreadnought/ Big Baby/ Grand Pacific and Martin Dreadnough (D) shapes
| Guitar | Acoustic-Electric | Origin | Top Wood | Back and Sides | Price |
| Taylor Big Baby | No | Mexico | Spruce | Layered Walnut | $500 |
| Martin D-X1E HPL | Yes | Mexico | Mahogany/ Spruce/ Koa | Mahogany/ Koa | $500 |
| Martin DJr-10 Sitka | No | Mexico | Spruce | Sapele | $500 |
| Taylor Academy 10 | No | Mexico | Spruce | Layered Sapele | $549 |
| Taylor Big Baby | Yes | Mexico | Spruce | Layered Walnut | $599 |
| Martin Custom X1AE | Yes | Mexico | Spruce | Rosewood | $600 |
| Martin D-X2E | Yes | Mexico | Spruce/ Sapele | Rosewood/ Mahogany/ Ebony | $600 |
| Martin DC-X2E | Yes | Mexico | Spruce | Mahogany/ Ebony | $700 |
| Martin D10E-01 Road Series | Yes | Mexico | Sapele | Sapele | $800 |
| Martin D-10E Road Series | Yes | Mexico | Spruce | Sapele | $850 |
| Taylor 210ce | Yes | Mexico | Spruce | Layered Rosewood | $999 |
| Martin Special 11E Road Series | Yes | Mexico | Spruce | Mahogany | $1000 |
| Martin Special D | No | Mexico | Spruce | Sapele | $1000 |
| Taylor 210ce Plus | Yes | Mexico | Spruce | Layered Rosewood | $1199 |
| Martin D-15M | No | USA | Mahogany | Mahogany | $1300 |
| Martin D-12E | Yes | Mexico | Spruce | Sapele | $1300 |
| Martin D-13E Road Series | Yes | Mexico | Spruce | Siris | $1300 |
| Martin D-13E Ziricote | Yes | Mexico | Spruce | Ziricote | $1350 |
| Taylor AD27 Grand Pacific | No | USA | Mahogany | Sapele | $1399 |
| Taylor AD17 Grand Pacific | No | USA | Spruce | Ovangkol | $1399 |
| Martin DC-13E Road Series | Yes | Mexico | Spruce | Mutenye | $1400 |
| Martin D-15M StreetMaster | No | USA | Mahogany | Mahogany | $1400 |
| Martin DSS-15M StreetMaster | No | USA | Mahogany | Mahogany | $1400 |
| Taylor AD27e Grand Pacific | Yes | USA | Mahogany | Sapele | $1599 |
| Martin DSS-17 | No | USA | Spruce | Mahogany | $1600 |
| Taylor AD17e Grand Pacific | Yes | USA | Spruce | Ovangkol | $1699 |
| Martin Special 16 Style | Yes | USA | Spruce | Rosewood | $1700 |
| Martin D-16E | Yes | USA | Spruce | Mahogany/ Rosewood | $1750 |
| Taylor 317 Grand Pacific | No | USA | Spruce | Sapele | $1799 |
| Martin Special Carpathian | Yes | USA | Spruce | Blackwood | $1900 |
| Martin D-18 | No | USA | Spruce | Mahogany | $2500 |
| Taylor 327e Grand Pacific | Yes | USA | Mahogany | Blackwood | $2199 |
| Taylor Builder’s Edition 517 | No | USA | Spruce | Mahogany | $2699 |
| Martin Special 18 Style VTS | No | USA | Spruce | Mahogany | $2800 |
| Taylor Builder’s Edition 717 | No | USA | Spruce | Rosewood | $2899 |
| Martin D-28 | No | USA | Spruce | Rosewood | $3000 |
| Martin HD-28 | No | USA | Spruce | Rosewood | $3200 |
| Martin D-35 Standard | No | USA | Spruce | Rosewood | $3200 |
| Martin Special 28 Style Adirondack | No | USA | Spruce | Rosewood | $3300 |
| Martin Custom Dreadnought | No | USA | Spruce | Dreadnought | $3500 |
| Martin HD-28E-Z Standard | Yes | USA | Spruce | Rosewood | $3600 |
| Martin D-18E Modern Deluxe | Yes | USA | Spruce | Mahogany | $4000 |
| Martin D-18 Modern Deluxe | Yes | USA | Spruce | Rosewood | $4000 |
| Martin Special 28 Style Bearclaw | No | USA | Spruce | Rosewood | $4095 |
| Martin Special 35 Style Bearclaw | No | USA | Spruce | Rosewood | $4435 |
| Martin D-28E Modern Deluxe | Yes | USA | Spruce | Mahogany | $4700 |
| Martin D-41 | No | USA | Spruce | Rosewood | $5000 |
| Martin D-42 | No | USA | Spruce | Rosewood | $6200 |
| Martin D-18 Authentic 1939 Aged | No | USA | Spruce | Mahogany | $6800 |
| Martin D-28 Authentic 1937 Aged | No | USA | Spruce | Rosewood | $6900 |
| Martin D-28 Authentic 1937 VTS Aged | No | USA | Spruce | Rosewood | $8000 |
| Martin D-45 Standard | No | USA | Spruce | Rosewood | $9500 |
Large Body
- Taylor Grand Orchestra/ Grand Symphony and Martin Jumbo shapes
| Guitar | Acoustic-Electric | Origin | Top Wood | Back and Sides | Price |
| Taylor 326ce Urban Ash Grand Symphony | Yes | USA | Mahogany | Ash | $2499 |
| Taylor 818e | Yes | USA | Spruce | Rosewood | $3499 |
| Taylor 618e | Yes | USA | Spruce | Maple | $3499 |
| Taylor 618e | Yes | USA | Spruce | Maple | $3499 |
| Taylor Builder’s Edition 816ce Grand Symphony | Yes | USA | Spruce | Rosewood | $3999 |
| Martin J-40 Jumbo | No | USA | Spruce | Rosewood | $4200 |
| Taylor K26ce Grand Symphony | Yes | USA | Koa | Koa | $5199 |
Which Acoustic Guitar is Best for You?
This brings us to the ultimate question, should you get a Martin or a Taylor? My best advice is to use the tables above to identify which models are in your price range and then try them in the store. This will allow you to figure out which feels and sounds the best to you.
If you can, try and do a blind tone-test by asking a friend to play the guitars with your back to them, so you can remove an preconceived notions and decide once and for all, which sounds best to you.
Here are some key points to finish up this article with:
- Taylor guitars have a more modern and brighter tone.
- Martin guitars have a warmer and fuller tone.
- Taylor guitars allow you to fine-tune the action more than Martin guitars.
- Taylor guitars typically have a smaller fretboard radius than Martin guitars.
- Martin guitars typically start at a lower price than Taylor guitars and better cater the under $1000 bracket.
- Taylor cater for the large-body (e.g. Jumbo) and small-body market more than Martin.
- Martin are better known for their dreadnought range compared to Taylor.
Here are some more articles you might find useful: